Ask your cooperating teacher about their class policies. How do they introduce their policies and enforce them throughout the year? Does he or she begin the year going over basic skills, e.g. measurement, or do they begin the year with course topics? Obtain a copy of any handouts about policies or safety from the first week of class.
Observation: PHS (Mrs.Bailey's 9th grade). After observing in Mrs Bailey's General Science classes I have seen how most of the policies are set out in her classroom. Having come in after the first weeks of class were over, I was unable to obtain an actual copy of classroom policies, but when talking to Mrs. Bailey she summarized that the main classroom policies were focused around being kind and respectful to others and being an active class participant. At the front of the room is a copy of the school mission statement and a list with bullets of the main classroom rules.
Reflection: Spending a day in the classroom with Mrs.Bailey's ninth graders, I noticed that there were several instances where students didn't follow classroom policies, and the teacher seemed used to it. One student was hitting other students with a meter stick and not much was done on the teachers part to enforce the classroom policies of being kind and respectful. Also there were times in the classroom where it seemed that none of the students were aware that yelling over the teacher and getting up to go chat with friends during class was inappropriate. It seemed to me like a lot is lacking in the area of classroom management, that it would be helpful to address the issues in the classroom so as to create a better sense of control/order in the classroom.
Observation/Reflection #0: Class Policies
Ask your cooperating teacher about their class policies. How do they introduce their policies and enforce them throughout the year? Does he or she begin the year going over basic skills, e.g. measurement, or do they begin the year with course topics? Obtain a copy of any handouts about policies or safety from the first week of class.Observation: PHS (Mrs.Bailey's 9th grade). After observing in Mrs Bailey's General Science classes I have seen how most of the policies are set out in her classroom. Having come in after the first weeks of class were over, I was unable to obtain an actual copy of classroom policies, but when talking to Mrs. Bailey she summarized that the main classroom policies were focused around being kind and respectful to others and being an active class participant. At the front of the room is a copy of the school mission statement and a list with bullets of the main classroom rules.
Reflection: Spending a day in the classroom with Mrs.Bailey's ninth graders, I noticed that there were several instances where students didn't follow classroom policies, and the teacher seemed used to it. One student was hitting other students with a meter stick and not much was done on the teachers part to enforce the classroom policies of being kind and respectful. Also there were times in the classroom where it seemed that none of the students were aware that yelling over the teacher and getting up to go chat with friends during class was inappropriate. It seemed to me like a lot is lacking in the area of classroom management, that it would be helpful to address the issues in the classroom so as to create a better sense of control/order in the classroom.